Man charged with murder of missing couple

Published: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 11:29 AM.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office arrested Barry Davis on Wednesday morning and charged him with killing John Hughes and Heidi Rhodes, a couple that have been missing since May 7, 2012.

At a press conference Wednesday at Sheriff’s Office headquarters, State Attorney Bill Eddins said he will seek indictments for first-degree premeditated murder and convene a group to consider whether to seek the death penalty for Davis, 27, who Sheriff Mike Adkinson referred to as a “cold-blooded, calculated murderer.”

Davis, who was in the Okaloosa County Jail on drug charges, was transferred to the Walton County Jail on Wednesday morning and charged with the killings.

Witness statements obtained over months of investigation have led authorities to believe that Davis killed Hughes, 49, and Rhodes, 41, inside Hughes’ home in Santa Rosa Beach.

Tiffani Steward, identified as Davis’ girlfriend, told deputies she saw Davis choke Rhodes into unconsciousness, then fill Hughes’ bathtub with water and submerge her and Hughes' heads to drown them, according the affidavit filed before the arrest.

Steward said she and Davis drove to Hughes’ home last May 7 and were invited in for dinner. She and Rhodes went out to purchase margarita mix and received a call to hurry back. They returned to find Hughes bleeding on the floor and not moving.

“When Steward and Rhodes arrived back at Hughes’ residence, Davis grabbed Rhodes and strangled her down on the floor. Hughes was already lying on the floor not moving. There was blood around Hughes head and on the floor, wall, and a nightstand in the master bedroom. Davis had blood on his clothing as well,” according to an affidavit summarizing Steward’s statement to investigators.

“Davis then put Rhodes and Hughes head first into master bedroom bathtub and filled it with water, submerging the heads in water … he duct-taped Hughes’ and Rhodes’ ankles together ... Davis and Steward left the residence leaving Hughes and Rhodes in this submerged position,” the affidavit said.

Hughes had been severely injured in a workplace accident and was bringing in about $6,000 a month from an insurance settlement. Davis told Steward on the way to Hughes’ home that he was going to kidnap him and hold him for ransom, according to the affidavit.

Following the deaths of Hughes and Rhodes, “Davis was found to have made numerous debits from Hughes’ accounts,” according to a news release issued by the Sheriff's Office.

Authorities suspected early on that Davis had something to do with the disappearances of Hughes and Rhodes, who was from Panama City Beach.

He was tried last September for grand theft after he sold Hughes’ Corvette to a man in Orlando. At the trial, Davis contended he sold the vehicle as a favor to Hughes and that Hughes had left the country to avoid a drug debt.

The jury found Davis not guilty.

Following the trial, the Sheriff’s Office and state attorney’s office decided not to prosecute Davis on a burglary charge stemming from the discovery of many of Hughes’ home furnishings in his possession.

Instead, they settled in to the painstaking task of developing a murder case, Eddins and Adkinson said at the press conference.

Adkinson promised relatives of Hughes present at the press conference that deputies will continue to search for the bodies. The Sheriff’s Office has served about 12 search warrants, issued 46 subpoenas, drained a pond and searched numerous properties.

Eddins told reporters he expects a “no body” murder trial.

“Even though no bodies have been recovered, we do believe we will successfully bring this case to conclusion,” he said. “We were very methodical, very thorough in the way we went about this.”

Steward’s statement to the Sheriff’s Office has led them to believe Davis went to great lengths to dispose of Hughes’ and Rhodes’ bodies.

“The next time Steward saw Davis … a day or two after the killings," the affidavit said, “he was dragging a blue tote … to a burn pit. The tote smelled bad and Steward assumed the tote held the bodies of Hughes and Rhodes. Davis told her later that he had cut up the bodies and burned them in the burn pit and scattered the ashes.”

Cecil Galloway, another witness questioned by investigators, told them that in June 2012 Davis handed him a trash bag “of burned wood and ashes” and told him to get rid of it. He said he placed the bag in a garbage can at the end of the driveway.

Deputies got a big break in their case when a Cadillac Escalade belonging to Hughes was found behind a home in DeFuniak Springs. Kenneth Ingram, a correctional officer and the homeowner, told investigators that Davis asked him to store the Escalade on his property sometime in June 2012.

The back bench seat was missing and the back carpet had been cut out when it was recovered, according to Davis’ arrest affidavit.

Adkinson said one of the most difficult tasks for a team of about 15 investigators trying to link Davis to the Hughes’ and Rhodes’ deaths was convincing witnesses to cooperate.

“Truly, I can tell you, Davis struck fear in the hearts of these people,” he said. “It is unbelievable the amount of work it has taken us to get to this point.”

One detail of the case that is yet to be resolved is the fate of Rhodes’ beloved little white dog Molly, Adkinson said after the press conference. The sheriff said he believes it’s possible Molly, which was 14 years old when Rhodes disappeared, may still be alive and in the care of someone acquainted with Davis.

One witness told investigators he saw a dog matching Molly’s description at Hughes’ home as Davis allegedly was arranging to have Hughes’ furniture taken away.

Another witness said he saw the dog in the care of Takylah Glenn, another witness in the case and an acquaintance of Davis.

“Davis told Takylah that the prior owner could not take care of the dog anymore and asked her not to take any photos of the dog,” according to the affidavit. “He told her the dog’s name was Molly.”

Davis later retrieved the dog, the affidavit said.

John Hughes’ sister, Amy Hughes, and his cousin Susan Hughes attended Wednesday’s press conference. They praised the Sheriff’s Office and state attorney’s office for their efforts. However, Amy Hughes holds little hope that her brother and Rhodes are still alive.

“There’s just too much evidence,” she said.

The Hughes family is offering $20,000 to anyone willing to come forward with information of value to the case.

Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published
without permission. Links are encouraged.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office arrested Barry Davis on Wednesday morning and charged him with killing John Hughes and Heidi Rhodes, a couple that have been missing since May 7, 2012.

At a press conference Wednesday at Sheriff’s Office headquarters, State Attorney Bill Eddins said he will seek indictments for first-degree premeditated murder and convene a group to consider whether to seek the death penalty for Davis, 27, who Sheriff Mike Adkinson referred to as a “cold-blooded, calculated murderer.”

Davis, who was in the Okaloosa County Jail on drug charges, was transferred to the Walton County Jail on Wednesday morning and charged with the killings.

Witness statements obtained over months of investigation have led authorities to believe that Davis killed Hughes, 49, and Rhodes, 41, inside Hughes’ home in Santa Rosa Beach.

Tiffani Steward, identified as Davis’ girlfriend, told deputies she saw Davis choke Rhodes into unconsciousness, then fill Hughes’ bathtub with water and submerge her and Hughes' heads to drown them, according the affidavit filed before the arrest.

Steward said she and Davis drove to Hughes’ home last May 7 and were invited in for dinner. She and Rhodes went out to purchase margarita mix and received a call to hurry back. They returned to find Hughes bleeding on the floor and not moving.

“When Steward and Rhodes arrived back at Hughes’ residence, Davis grabbed Rhodes and strangled her down on the floor. Hughes was already lying on the floor not moving. There was blood around Hughes head and on the floor, wall, and a nightstand in the master bedroom. Davis had blood on his clothing as well,” according to an affidavit summarizing Steward’s statement to investigators.

“Davis then put Rhodes and Hughes head first into master bedroom bathtub and filled it with water, submerging the heads in water … he duct-taped Hughes’ and Rhodes’ ankles together ... Davis and Steward left the residence leaving Hughes and Rhodes in this submerged position,” the affidavit said.

Hughes had been severely injured in a workplace accident and was bringing in about $6,000 a month from an insurance settlement. Davis told Steward on the way to Hughes’ home that he was going to kidnap him and hold him for ransom, according to the affidavit.

Following the deaths of Hughes and Rhodes, “Davis was found to have made numerous debits from Hughes’ accounts,” according to a news release issued by the Sheriff's Office.

Authorities suspected early on that Davis had something to do with the disappearances of Hughes and Rhodes, who was from Panama City Beach.

He was tried last September for grand theft after he sold Hughes’ Corvette to a man in Orlando. At the trial, Davis contended he sold the vehicle as a favor to Hughes and that Hughes had left the country to avoid a drug debt.

The jury found Davis not guilty.

Following the trial, the Sheriff’s Office and state attorney’s office decided not to prosecute Davis on a burglary charge stemming from the discovery of many of Hughes’ home furnishings in his possession.

Instead, they settled in to the painstaking task of developing a murder case, Eddins and Adkinson said at the press conference.

Adkinson promised relatives of Hughes present at the press conference that deputies will continue to search for the bodies. The Sheriff’s Office has served about 12 search warrants, issued 46 subpoenas, drained a pond and searched numerous properties.

Eddins told reporters he expects a “no body” murder trial.

“Even though no bodies have been recovered, we do believe we will successfully bring this case to conclusion,” he said. “We were very methodical, very thorough in the way we went about this.”

Steward’s statement to the Sheriff’s Office has led them to believe Davis went to great lengths to dispose of Hughes’ and Rhodes’ bodies.

“The next time Steward saw Davis … a day or two after the killings," the affidavit said, “he was dragging a blue tote … to a burn pit. The tote smelled bad and Steward assumed the tote held the bodies of Hughes and Rhodes. Davis told her later that he had cut up the bodies and burned them in the burn pit and scattered the ashes.”

Cecil Galloway, another witness questioned by investigators, told them that in June 2012 Davis handed him a trash bag “of burned wood and ashes” and told him to get rid of it. He said he placed the bag in a garbage can at the end of the driveway.

Deputies got a big break in their case when a Cadillac Escalade belonging to Hughes was found behind a home in DeFuniak Springs. Kenneth Ingram, a correctional officer and the homeowner, told investigators that Davis asked him to store the Escalade on his property sometime in June 2012.

The back bench seat was missing and the back carpet had been cut out when it was recovered, according to Davis’ arrest affidavit.

Adkinson said one of the most difficult tasks for a team of about 15 investigators trying to link Davis to the Hughes’ and Rhodes’ deaths was convincing witnesses to cooperate.

“Truly, I can tell you, Davis struck fear in the hearts of these people,” he said. “It is unbelievable the amount of work it has taken us to get to this point.”

One detail of the case that is yet to be resolved is the fate of Rhodes’ beloved little white dog Molly, Adkinson said after the press conference. The sheriff said he believes it’s possible Molly, which was 14 years old when Rhodes disappeared, may still be alive and in the care of someone acquainted with Davis.

One witness told investigators he saw a dog matching Molly’s description at Hughes’ home as Davis allegedly was arranging to have Hughes’ furniture taken away.

Another witness said he saw the dog in the care of Takylah Glenn, another witness in the case and an acquaintance of Davis.

“Davis told Takylah that the prior owner could not take care of the dog anymore and asked her not to take any photos of the dog,” according to the affidavit. “He told her the dog’s name was Molly.”

Davis later retrieved the dog, the affidavit said.

John Hughes’ sister, Amy Hughes, and his cousin Susan Hughes attended Wednesday’s press conference. They praised the Sheriff’s Office and state attorney’s office for their efforts. However, Amy Hughes holds little hope that her brother and Rhodes are still alive.

“There’s just too much evidence,” she said.

The Hughes family is offering $20,000 to anyone willing to come forward with information of value to the case.